Lee Peacock is a double murderer
(Picture: Metropolitan Police)A “cold-blooded” killer who slit the throats of his girlfriend and another man just weeks after being set free from prison has been convicted of the double murder.
Lea Peacock, 50, killed Sharon Pickles, 46, and Clinton Ashmore, 59, in the space of two days in August 2021, before turning the knife on himself when he was tracked down by police.
The killer admitted causing the deaths but attempted to argue during his Old Bailey trial that Ms Pickles’ death was an accident and Mr Ashmore had been stabbed in self-defence.
However jurors were told how Peacock told his father about the murders and implicated himself further with a handwritten note and messages to friends.
The jury deliberated for two hours and 20 minutes before finding him guilty on both counts.
“Over two short days, the defendant first killed Ms Pickles and then he killed Clinton Ashmore”, said prosecutor Edward Brown KC. “The defendant’s actions were as cold-blooded as they were determined.”
He was captured after a five-day police manhunt began on August 19, 2021, when Peacock’s father told officers his son had been at his home and confessed to murder by cutting victims’ throats.
In evidence, Mr Peacock said his son claimed it was “easy” and demonstrated how he had cut their throats, while also showing off the three-inch switchblade he had used.
Ms Pickles’ body was discovered, wrapped in a duvet and hidden under a bed, that evening at her home in Marylebone, having been killed around 36 hours earlier.
Peacock was caught on CCTV after the visit to his father, walking with Mr Ashmore towards his Westminster flat and then leaving alone 15 minutes later, the court heard.
Around two hours later, Mr Ashmore was discovered dead by friends, having suffered multiple cutting injuries to his neck.
Peacock had only been released from prison on June 4 2021, the court heard.
The day before he turned up at his father’s house, Peacock had sent text messages to family members saying he was in “serious trouble”.
He wrote: “After this conversation with me you will never hear from me again. I will never be released from prison. My hand has been forced after what I did last night.”
The messages were found on the killer’s mobile phone, which had been discarded near his father’s address, the court heard.
Peacock was eventually located on August 25 on a houseboat moored on the Grand Union Canal in central London.
When officers arrived, Peacock tried to cut his own neck before being restrained.
More notes confessing to the murders and explaining the reasons for them were found in his pocket.
A T-shirt matching the one Peacock was seen on CCTV wearing near the second victim’s house was also recovered.
After being treated in hospital for cuts to his neck, Peacock gave a “chilling” account of what happened, Mr Brown said.
Peacock told police he had argued with Ms Pickles about a man named Scuilla who he suspected she had been seeing while he was in prison and had supplied her with drugs.
He lashed out with the knife after Ms Pickles laughed at his plan to kill Scuilla, according to the account.
Afterwards, he went to his father’s house to ask for money but left soon afterwards and later realised police had been called. Peacock denied two counts of murder but was convicted by the jury.
He will face a life jail term when sentenced by Mr Justice Edward Murray.
